Process for hydrocarbon oil conversion



May 10, 1932. r J. DELATTRE-SEGUY 1,857,406

I PROCESS FOR HYDROCARBON OIL CONVERSION ori wl Fied Ma hb, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheef 1 May 10, DELATTRE SEGUY PROCESS FOR HYDROCARBON OIL CONVERSION Original Filed March 6 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES (PATENT OFFICE JEAN DELATTRE-SEGUY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR. TO UNIVERSAL OIL PROD- UCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA PROCESS FOR HYDROCARBON OIL CONVERSION Continuation of application Serial No. 92,679, filed March 6, 1926. This application filed June 3, 1929.

Serial No. 368,123.

This application is a continuation of my application Serial No. 92,679, filed March 6,

' This invention relates to improvements in process and apparatus for hydrocarbon oil conversion, and refers more particularly to the idea of superheating portions of the volatilized fractions of the oil and subjecting said superheated portions to dephlegmating action.

In. systems for the conversion of hydrocarbon oil, there is often a tendency to produce an objectionably high percentage of fixed gases as well as an objectionable quantity of carbon, even in the tube and drum type of apparatus where a large drum is provided for the collection of carbon.

This is particularly true when maximum yields of distillates are desired having antiknock properties, such as aromatic hydrocarbons.

One of the objects of my invention is to prevent over-cracking of the less refractory constituentsof the oil while producing a distillate possessing desirable anti-knock qualities, being of high compression ratio and of desirable volatility. More specifically, my invention contemplates the superheating of portions of the vapors generated in the sys tem and the passage of said superheated vapors into the dephlegmating zone to cause a re-combination of the superheated. vaporous fractions with those vapors passed directly from the system into the dephlegmating zone.. This materially increases the reaction and the yield of light distillate. The present invention contemplates that all or any portion of the vapors produced in the system may be superheated, if desired.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in 1 vertical section, of an apparatus for carrying out my invention, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a carbon separating device interposed in the superheated vapor line,

Referring more in detail to the drawings, charging stock from any suitable source of supply (not shown) is drawn through the line 1 and forced by the .pump 2 through the line 3 to the heating" tube 4, or by proper regulation of the valves 5 and 6 may be diverted and passed through the line 7 communicating With the upper part of the vertical dephlegmator 8. The stream of raw oil may be divided and a portion passed through both of the'lines 3 and 7. The heating tube 4 is mounted in the furnace 9 and may be heated by means of the burner 10. The furnace 9 and burner 10 are diagrammatically shown. The oil passing through the heating tube 4 is heated to a conversion temperature and is passed through the transfer line 11, controlled by valve 12, to the enlarged expansion drum 13 which may be provided with upper and lower manholes 14, and liquid residue draw-offs 15, controlled by valves 16, said liquid residue draw-oil's being disposed at various heights along the wall of the drum 13. This drum may be unheated agd is prefcrably insulated, although the invention contemplates that it may be heated, if desired. Vapors may be drawn oil through the vapor outlet line 17, in which is interposed the valve 18, said line 17 communicating with the lower portion of the vertical dephlegmator 8. After passage through the dephlegmator 8, the vapors which still remain uncondensed may be withdrawn through the line 19, controlled by valve 20, passed through condensing [tube 21 mounted in condenser box 22, and 'the condensed liquid may be collected in the receiver 23. The receiver 23 may be-pro- 'vided with pressure relief pipe 24, controlled by valve 25, and with liquid draw-off pipe 26, controlled by valve 27. The condensed liquid instead. of beingwithdrawn through the line 26 may be returned to the top of the pressure or under its own hydrostatic head pressure. For this purpose, there is provided a by-pass line 32 having a valve 33 interposed therein, or the valves 34 and pump 35.

As one of the features of thepresent invention, all or a portion of the vapors being released in the expansion drum 13 may be pors after being superheated in the tube may pass through the transfer line 41 and directed to header A. This header A communicates, through lines B in which are interposed valves B, with carbon separators C, shown more particularly in Fig. 2. By suitable regulation of the various valves B the superheated vapors can be passed to any one of the carbon separators C interposed in the respective lines B. Provision is made for directing the vapors to these alternate carbon separators so that in the event one of the carbon separators becomes charged with carbon, it can be cut out of operation and another one cut into operation, it being understood that the filled separator can be cleaned while it is out of operation. Each carbon separator C may be provided with a screen C. The particular construction of these carbon separators is not of any specific importance in the present invention. Hence they have been shown merely diagrammatL cally. From-the carbon separator C through which the vapors are being passed, they are a directed to the common line 42 in which are interposed valves 43. Valves D are inter-.. posed in lines D leading from each carbon separator. Discharging into the lower portion of the dephlegmator 8 the outlet may be in the form of a spray, if desired. Intermediate the lines 42 and 17 there may be interposed a connecting line 44 having a valve 45 interposed therein.

It will be readily apparent that the superheated vapors are introduced into the dephlegmator substantially free of carbon. The particular temperature and pressure conditions which will be maintained in the various parts of the apparatus, forinstance, the

heating'tube 4, drum 13, dephlegmator 8, condenser 22, heating tube 39, and also the proportion of the vapors superheated, gvill vary depending on the character and nature the proportion of vapors passed through said tube, the larger will be the proportion of aromatic and napthene hydrocarbons in the final distillate.

The nature andcharacter of my invention can perhaps be best understood by comparing it with a process in which no portion of the vapors is superheated prior to being passed to the dephlegmating zone. The following may be cited as an illustrative example of a run carried out in the present apparatus without superheating the vapors. A Mid-Continent fuel oil having aBaum gravity of 25.1 was subjected in the heating tube 4 to a temperature of substantially 880 F., while the temperature in the reaction drum 13 averaged substantially 860 F. The vapors passing through the line 17 to enter the dephlegma- 'tor were at a temperature of substantially 850 F. This run was carried out under a superatmospheric pressure of substantially 150 pounds. This resulted in 40% of the charge being converted into motor fuel having an end point of 437 F., and a compression ratio of about 5.

For the purposes of comparison,the following illustrative run may be given, in which a portion of the vapors was withdrawn from reaction drum 13, superheated in the tube 39 and passed to the dephlegmator. In this run the same character of oil was treated. The temperature to which the oil was subjected in the-heating tube 4 was substantially 730 F. I The vapors which were superheated prior to being passed to the dephlegmator were raised to a temperature of substantially 1100 F. These vapors were in the proportion of about 30% of the amount of the oil passed through the heating tube 4, on the basis of weight. The average temperature maintained in the reaction drum was substantially 650 F., while the vapors leaving the drum 13, to be directed either to the dephlegmator or into the vapor heating tube 39, were at a temperature of substantially 640 F; In carrying out this last mentioned run, substantially of the oil charge was converted into motor fuel, having substantially the same ,distillate range as that in the preceding run but in addition the compression ratio was increased to 6.5, probably due to an increase in the percentage of aromatic and napthene hydrocarbons. The volatility of the resulting motor fuel was also improved.

The superheating of vapors in the tube 39 produces an increased amount of aromatic and napthene compounds. The quantity thereof can be controlled by the amount of vapors passed through the heating tube 39, or by the conditions of temperature and pressure maintained therein. It will be instantly apparent that by controlling the numerous valves and pumps located in the system, a

uniform pressure may be maintained, or if 5 of which is the chemical composition. The

higher the proportion of aromatic and napthene compounds in a motor fuel, the greater are .its qualities as an anti-knock fuel. For instance, an increase of 6% in aromatics gives I an increase of 0.3 in the highest compression ratio. It is believed that the present invention materially improves the volatility of the motor fuel produced by passing portions of the vapors produced in the system through a superheating zone, and combining this portion in the dephlegmator with the vapors from the system which have not been superheated.

I claim as my invention:

comprising passing a stream of oil through an elongated passageway located in a furnace wherein the oil is heated to a cracking temperature, in then transferring the heated oil into an enlarged reaction drum where substantial separation of vapors takes place, in withdrawing a portion only of said vapors and subjecting them to a superheating temperature while removin the remaining vapors for dephlegmatiomlnpassingsaidsuperheated vapors to a dephlegmating zone, in subjecting all the vapors separated from the oil in the process to dephlegmation in said dephlegmating zone, in removing and condensing the vapors which are still uncondensed after passage through the dephlegmating zone.

' 2. A method of hydrocarbon oil conver- 1. A method of hydrocarbon oil conversion ing the vapors which are still uncondensed after passage through the dephlegmating zone, and in maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oil and vapors under treatment.

4. A method of hydrocarbon oil conversion comprising heating a stream of oil in an elongated passageway to a cracking temperature, in passing said heated oil to an enlarged'expansion drum where substantial separation of vapors takes place, in withdrawing portions of said vapors and passing same directly to a dephlegmator, in withdrawing other portions of said vapors and superheating same, in mixing in the dephlegmator the superheated vapors with the vapors which have been passed directly to the dephlegmator, in withdrawing and condensing the dephlegmated vapors, and inmaintaining superatmospheric pressure on the oil and vapors under treatment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature.

JEAN DELATTRE-SE UY.

*sion comprising heating a stream of oil in perature, passing 'said heated oil to an enlarged expansion drum where substantial separation of vapors takes place, in withdrawing portions of said vapors and passing drawing other portions of said vapors and superheating same, in then mixing in the dephlegmator the superheated vapors with the vapors which have been passed directly to said dephlegmator, and in withdrawing and condensing the dephlegmated vapors.

3. A method of hydrocarbon oil conversion comprising passing a stream of oil through an elongated passageway located in a furnace wherein the oil is heated to a cracking tem perature, in then transferring the heated oil into an enlarged reaction drum where substantial separation of vapors takes place, in withdrawing a portion of said vapors and subjecting them to a superheating temperature, in passing said superheated vapors to a dephlegmating zone towhich additional vapors are continuously introduced from saidenlarged reaction zone, in subjecting the vapors to dephlegmation, in removing and condensan elongated passageway to a cracking temthe same directly to a dephlegmator, in with- 

